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Description

Defies gravity and the climbing-shoes-should-hurt-like-hell belief.

In a world where climbers believe that shoes are only good if they hurt like hell, the Evolv Defy Climbing Shoe stands out in the crowd with unmatched comfort in order to keep your feet nice and cozy while you learn the ways of the climber. A flat profile with a low asymmetric curvature makes this shoe an excellent starter for beginners in a gym, and it performs well when you take it to outdoor crags. Evolv made the upper out of Synthratek, which is essentially perforated synthetic leather that's sturdy and rigid yet incredibly breathable. The shoe's nylon lining offers plush comfort that you appreciate when you're hanging from a top rope for what feels like hours. And two hook-and-loop straps offer a simple yet secure closure.

Evolv added an MX-P midsole that's soft and sensitive so you can feel the rock and learn how to smear with an impeccable prowess. The Trax rubber sole features high friction that helps prevent you from slipping off the greasiest foot holds in the gym, and a VTR rand at the toe keeps you climbing in this comfortable shoe for a long time.

Here's what others have to say...

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Not Too Shabby

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

Fit:
True to size

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 195 lbs

Size Purchased: 11

I'm currently coming off an ankle injury and needed a comfortable less aggressive shoe that I could wear all day at the gym. These are perfect for exactly that. I typically wear Sportiva Miura VS but couldn't get in them without some serious ankle pain. With the Defy I'm well on my way to recovery and pain free. Edging is not their strong suit but they are super soft and sticky and excel at smearing. For the price point they are a fantastic shoe if you're just starting out or coming off an injury and are in need of something more comfy.

Comment on Colin Clancy's review »

Solid Entry Shoe

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Fit:
Runs large

Fit: These shoes ran large for my foot size, and I purchased them a half-size down from my street shoe size. The toes were tight at first, but were eventually stretched out enough to some of the initial edging was lost. The rest of the shoe didn't stretch that much, as they weren't that tight to begin with.

Performance: The Defys performed well for their designed purpose: a beginner's shoe. The soles are softer than other shoes, making it feel unstable at times when edging on small to micro seams. The toe of the shoe is wider than those of higher performance shoes, and it makes placing the tip of your toe in a surface pocket difficult sometimes.

However, because of the softer rubber sole, these shoes smeared very well, performing well on low angled slabs. The Velcro straps feel well placed, as their location allow you to really conform the middle of the shoe to your foot shape. The synthetic material on the top of the shoe, just behind the toe is perfect for comfort when climbing cracks, I've done a lot of crack climbing with these and have never had any complaints about the tops of my feet afterwards. The material inside the shoe is comfortable, yet another plus.

Durability: These shoes are fairly durable. The tips of my big toes on my shoes went out at about the same time, after 6 months of climbing (3-4 days a week) on them with 2 of those months having horrible footwork, which probably didn't help the situation. Everything else remained intact and functional, but not pretty.

Summary and Afterthoughts: The Evolv Defys are a great entry level shoe for a number of reasons: They are comfortable after break-in, they are fairly durable if you treat them well, and they are one of the cheaper shoes on the market.

If you are looking for a non-entry level shoe with powerful edging, or a smaller toe, look elsewhere. These shoes are perfect for the gym, which doesn't require good edging and a small toe, and intermediate climbs. You get what you pay for

Comment on mik105662949's review »

Awesome beginner shoe.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Fit:
True to size

This show is great for beginners that are just getting into climbing. It is fairly comfortable once broken in, comfortable enough to wear all day at a gym session without having to take them off every 10 minutes. They are not very aggressive and are just mediocre at edging. They are however, very good at smears. The hook and loop closure makes it super easy to take on and off when your feet do get sweaty or tired.

These shoes are synthetically lined, so they will only stretch 1/4 to 1/2 a size. I would either stick with your street shoe size or go down 1/2 size.

Comment on Clint Arnett's review »

Stellar Shoe

I gave these as a gift and forced the owner to write a review. Here it is...

As the defy are my second pair of climbing shoes, I am able to say that these shoes fit perfectly, have the right amount of structure, and offer ease of use.

Similar to any pair of climbing shoe, the defy feel awkward upon use for the first couple of times. As soon as they wear in a bit, they feel like a little bit of heaven on your foot. I have a fairly large big toe which makes for discomfort if I don't briefly remove the shoe after an hour or so of use. With this shoe, it is essential that you keep your toenails trimmed.

In addition to fitting well, the defy have just the right amount of structure which makes for a very well-rounded pair of shoes. The heel is a bit softer than most shoes I've seen, but doesn't hinder a well placed heel hook on a strenuous boulder problem. Also, the toe is perfectly structured for sticking onto those very bare footholds on harder routes.

Comment on Patrick Ross's review »

Pretty good beginner shoes

I bought these as part of a starter gear set at the beginning of the year when I was just getting into climbing. I've used them a couple times a week since then and have been mostly pleased.

These feel WAY better than the rental shoes when I'm bouldering (which is what I do 90% of the time). I typically wear a size 11 or 11.5 shoe, and ended up getting these in 11.5. They are a bit uncomfortable on my toes, but that just goes with the territory, I think.

Now for the smell... they were OK for a while, but my feet definitely sweat in them and eventually they got pretty bad. I absolutely recommend spraying them with something after every use to keep them nice and rosy. I have tried cleaning them once with a vinegar solution and some scrubbing, as recommended by the internet. It helped a little, but mostly they just ended up smelling like feet AND vinegar. Oh well.

So, definitely a good starter shoe. I will be upgrading at some point.

Comment on Brent's review »

Pretty good climbing shoes

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

Fit:
Runs small

These are pretty good beginner shoes. I got these a few months ago and have used them regularly both indoor and out. I'm still pretty new to climbing and these are my first shoes. I mostly do indoor gym climbing a couple times a week but have used them 3 days outside, one day lead climbing at New River Gorge (which was really awesome).

I only have gym rental shoes to compare these to, but they seem descent. They're comfortable to wear for hours at a time and haven't had any issues of stinkiness. My feet do sweat in them though (since I go barefoot) and my feet seem to slide a little in them. I got a size 10.5 because I tried on the 10 and seemed way to small. Usually I would wear a 9.5 or 10 so these shoes seem to run small, go a size up.

Overall I like them, but I can see needing to upgrade in the near future for more attack, but if you're just getting into climbing and want a good shoe to start with so you don't have to rent, I'd recommend these for sure.